Meal Plan - Day 1

I won't do this every day, but I will post meal plans from time to time to give you an idea of what I'm doing and why I'm doing it a certain way.

Ideally I want to eat every 2.5 - 3 hours with 3 whole-food meals ('meat-and-potato' meals) and three supplemental meals.  Each meal has (ideally) a protein and a carbohydrate portion.  Veggies will be added whenever I can get them to fit.  So, here's what tomorrow's meal plan looks like:

8:00 - 1 cup whole-grain cereal w/ 1/2 cup skim milk
10:30 - protein bar (23g. protein and low sugar), water
12:30 - (post-workout) MRP (meal replacement powder), sports drink
3:00 - Mandarin Grilled Chicken Salad (see recipes section), water
5:30 - Baked whiting fillet, brown rice, broccoli spears, water
8:00 - protein bar, water

You might notice the tight time-frame between 10:30 and 12:30.  That is to accommodate my workout time at about 10:45.  I want to have a meal right after I work out (weight training), and I don't want to lift weights on an empty stomach (last time I tried such a stunt, I nearly passed out and felt nauseous for a few hours afterwards).

There are reasons for eating so often.  First, it provides a constant stream of nutrients to the body.  We tend to eat every few hours anyway, the problem is that the between meal snacks are usually calorie-dense foods like chips or candy.  Eating every couple hours also keeps the blood sugar levels fairly consistent.  Pretty much everyone understands mid-morning and mod-afternoon "crashes" - those times between meals when we start to feel sleepy and lethargic.  Usually that's about the same time I would head to the snack machine for a soda and a bag of chips.  Preventing crazy spikes and falls in blood sugar will do wonders for preventing problems with insulin that can lead to diabetic issues.  Finally, a meal every few hours keeps the body from thinking it is starving.  A body that thinks it is starving will preserve body fat  - obviously counter productive (and a key reason why starvation diets don't have the desired results).

I've heard of people who eat the same stuff day in and day out while they're trying to get in shape.  That's fine for some.  Personally, I like variety in my food choices, so my day-to-day nutrition plan will vary somewhat.  The one thing that will not change is the content of the meal (protein, good carbs, veggies, and water) and the timing (every 2.5 - 3 hours).

Be well.